Baratie Life
by AllBlueChaser
Summary: A series of Drabbles and shorts about chibi Sanji back at the Baratie. Sanji/Zeff fluff mostly.
1. Chapter 1

"It's not broken but there's serious crack running along the boy's tibia. I've splinted it and told him to use the crutches, but I suggest you both treat it like it was broken to ensure it heals quicker."

"The brat's brain must be broken." Zeff frowned.

The doctor hummed with an amused smile. Yes. What would posses such a small boy to kick the mast with all of his might?

"IS not!" A small indignant voice returned as Sanji appeared in the doorway, crutches road test apparently over for now.

"Oh you know what you did wrong then, you damn idiot?"

The doctor frowned at the harshness but couldn't say he disagreed.

"Yeah, I hesitated. Patty had been spewing some shit about the mast having some metal support rods and I suddenly remembered as I was about to hit. Did you see it though? There is a big crack in the mast now! If I had followed through…"

"We wouldn't have a damn mast!" The older chef bellowed as a kick sent the boy crutches and all flying into the far wall. "Next time practice on some dine and dashers damn ship! This is our home damn it! Now get back to dish duty, try not to screw up your leg, and do it right next time."

The boy stood adjusted his crutches and wobbled toward the door after giving an obscene gesture. There was some clomping down the hallway and then a very happy sounding boy shouting. "Carne! He said I did it right! I'll follow through next time! Where's Patty? I owe him a kick in the head!"

The doctor noticed an almost proud grin on Zeff's face. Unsettling.

"I'll send you my bill." Was all the doctor could think to say as he fled for the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Sanji had been fed. Fed for days, actually, through a tube that dripped nutrients since his digestive system would need time to recover from months of starvation. The point is, he had been fed so he felt much better as he snuck out of the hospital bed and found Zeff's room.

The old bastard was still not awake.

He looked dead still. He had a feeding tube thing like Sanji had but he didn't seem any better despite being fed for days too.

A few more tentative steps closer and he was peeking over the piles of blankets.

Okay maybe he looked a little bit better. Not quite dead then.

Sanji found himself staring at the absence of leg, so obviously not there under the blankets and then up to the pirates sunken face again. All Blue. A floating restaurant. The old geezer had been serious, he thought.

What if he didn't get better?

The voices of two nurses carried into the room from the hall and Sanji ran to the other side of the bed and ducked down, not quite ready to be discovered yet.

"It's such a shame! Can you imagine? Someone his age starving and having to cling so hard to survival? So sad!"

"But he's making really good, steady progress. He looks healthier every day."

The boy hiding behind the bed took a glance back up to Zeff's pale face. Hear that, old man? Get better soon!

"More handsome too! I'm more curious what's going to happen to the both of them later. I mean, from the looks of the other one he doesn't look like he has much experience taking care of anyone so fragile, so vulnerable."

Sanji clutched at the older mans sheets as they continued.

"Yeah, he kind of gives the aura of trouble too. Rough. Can we even trust him enough to release them together?"

"You can!"

Both nurses turned and spotted the blond boy standing now in front of Zeff's hospital bed protectively.

"I've never taken care of anyone before but I'm a quick learner! I'm more responsible than I look too! He saved my life and it cost him…" His breath began to hitch and he willed back the tears before finishing. "I'll make his dream come true somehow!"

A large hand fell on his head from behind him and as the small boy turned around the hand ruffled his hair too.

"They were talking about me, not you. Idiot."

"Oh." The boy kind of sniffed back the huge glowing smile at seeing the man awake and turned back to the nurses. "So you think I'm handsome?"

Zeff pulled the boy to the bed with him and sighed. He spoke too soon, this one was going to be trouble after all.


	3. A Birthday Treatment

It was the old bastard's birthday.

The first year, he didn't know it.

The second he secretly left a cake in the fridge but it had been eaten by Patty and Carne in a midnight fridge raid.

THIS year he got Carne and Patty in on the plan and got them to purchase a very special and very rare bottle of booze for him. He would tell the old man not to make a big deal about it, that it made up for the last two years.

That night after the Bartie had closed and Zeff sat at the bar waiting for the small boy to finish up in the kitchen so he could give him the days notes and send him to bed. It was usually up to Sanji to bring him an unfinished bottle of that night's house special for these meetings.

Sanji trotted out from the kitchen with a hidden smirk, holding his precious cargo, his gift in his arms. He didn't know one of the new guys had waxed the floor while Sanji had finished with the garbage out back, thinking everyone had already left.

Sanji slipped, flying forwards, desperate to protect the bottle, he didn't let it go until the last moment.

CRACK!

The cook winced as he looked up at Zeff, not sure if he could trust himself not to cry.

Zeff was frowning at him and looked at the bottle he had rescued when he couldn't reach the brat in time.

"You damn fool! You broke your wrist by saving this bottle, you know that right?"

Sanji grinned and blinked away the tears that had barely begun to form in the corner of his eyes. The bottle was safe. No reason to cry.

"Happy Birthday, old man!"

Zeff opened the bottle. The kid just gave up weeks of cooking for this, thinking it would make him smile. He should fix him of that notion here and now. Tell the kid not to sacrifice for him again.

"Mmm. Not bad brat. Thanks."

Sanji grinned so hard he let Zeff start first aid without complaint.

For both, this was worth it.


End file.
